MARP staff and volunteers have had a busy start to the new year after receiving three injured sea turtles from the New England Aquarium in mid-December. Due to extremely cold water temperatures in the New England region, the New England Aquarium rescued more than 100 sea turtles from local beaches in December alone, many on the brink of death due to cold-stunning.

Even though the New England Aquarium is known for its exceptional rehabilitation of sea turtles, that’s a lot of turtles for one Aquarium to handle. As some of the turtles began to stabilize, the New England Aquarium called on other facilities to help with the long-term rehabilitation process. Our MARP team was happy to help!

Our new patients were transported to Baltimore the week before Christmas, bundled in Chiquita banana boxes!

All three are Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, which is the most common sea turtle species seen in the New England area. Kemp’s are considered one of the most endangered sea turtles in the world. There are around 20,000 individuals, with 8,000 nesting females. As you can see from the picture below, upon arrival the turtles were pretty beaten up due to being tossed around in the waves and against rocks.

The turtles seem to be adjusting well to their new habitat. They are eating on a normal schedule and becoming more active with each day. These are signs that the turtles are on their way to a successful rehabilitation.